The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 133

Chapter 133: Hunting the World

Nie Jia was enveloped by the scorching heat of the seawater as it dragged him deeper into the ocean. Though his consciousness lingered, his body lacked the slightest ounce of strength. He knew well that if this continued, death was inevitable, yet he could only plummet further into the abyss.

Unlike Song Nuanyang, Nie Jia had never aspired to be a self-sacrificing hero. In this virtual world, all the suffering he endured seemed nothing more than a failed mission, hardly worth dwelling on. What Nie Jia longed for now was simply the regret of not having exchanged a few words with Shichen moments before. But it mattered not; they would meet again in the next world.

Nie Jia recalled the dream he had. It wasn't Shichen who abandoned him; rather, he plunged into the abyss himself.

Amidst his jumbled thoughts and the excruciating pain that felt as if his bones were being crushed, Nie Jia was unaware of someone grabbing his hand, pulling him desperately from the depths.

As they burst from the water's surface, the horizon still burned, the air searing hot, each breath risking damage to his airways. Shichen held Nie Jia's waist, hoisting him out of the water. Nie Jia had long lost consciousness, his body limp in Shichen's arms.

"Jiajia?" Shichen's hands trembled uncontrollably as he cradled Nie Jia against his shoulder, one hand supporting his neck, his voice soft as he called Nie Jia's name, stained with blood.

The sea had grown unbearably hot; Shichen dared not speak again, breathing heavily amidst the waves of radiation contamination. He held Nie Jia tight, swimming towards a distant circle of purple light.

On the coastline, earthen walls and ice barriers crumbled under the onslaught of shockwaves and giant waves. Each layer shattered, yet those with abilities rushed to repair them with all their might. The entire coastline trembled, but the hundred-meter-high barricade held firm, not allowing a single drop of water to breach.

The commotion this night felt to the coastal residents akin to doomsday. Countless people, tears streaming down their faces, watched the starry sky and the crumbling barricades before them, paralyzed with fear, awaiting death. Beneath the barricade were numerous individuals with abilities, persevering and resolute, giving rise to a faint glimmer of hope.

Shichen emerged with Nie Jia from the circle of light, and the spatial abilities user promptly closed the aperture.

"Doctor! Where's the doctor?" Shichen's urgency bordered on madness as he stood up, hoarse from shouting, blood suddenly gushing from his mouth, yet he didn't loosen his grip on Nie Jia's arm.

"Director!" He Qingtang had hurriedly fetched Meng Jia at daybreak, near tears at the sight.

The place where Nie Jia fell into the water was so perilous that even an individual with abilities might not return. Moreover, the director was just an ordinary person; in less than two minutes, he had sustained extensive burns, now continuously vomiting blood, likely with his airways scorched.

Outside the barricade, the thunderous sounds of waves crashing and the collapse of soil and ice layers echoed. Yet in Shichen's mind, there was a profound calm, with only Nie Jia's barely perceptible breathing.

As Meng Jia rushed over, Shichen, tears in his eyes, pleaded, "Save him, he's still alive..."

Once a hunter who had taken countless lives, Meng Jia, despite being a doctor, had killed more than she had cured, several times over. She had once harbored hatred for the government and ordinary people alike, questioning why abilities users were confined, forced to wander like beasts. But she had come to realize her mistakes and joined the government under the leadership of the boss...

Yet now, as Meng Jia looked at Nie Jia, heavily injured and unconscious, her heart swelled with immense sorrow and shock, especially as she began to assess the severity of his injuries during treatment.

Meng Jia couldn't fathom how the boss, who had once sought to establish a new world for the Shark faction, and had regarded ordinary people and the Pig faction as no more than swine and dogs, had come to such lengths for the sake of the people. If Shichen hadn't brought him back, if they had delayed a minute longer, he would have died.

Was it worth it?

"The boss is fine," Meng Jia said only after fully restoring Nie Jia's body, then turning to treat Shichen. "Let him rest and recover from the physical strain with a good sleep."

He Qingtang breathed a sigh of relief, plopping down on the ground, unable to speak as his lips trembled.

---

When Nie Jia woke up, he could clearly sense that he had been asleep for a long time. As he turned his head, he saw Shi Chen standing guard by the bedside. His eyes were bloodshot, chin covered in stubble. Holding Nie Jia's hand, he spoke with a hoarse yet joyful voice, "Awake? Do you want some water?"

Nie Jia sat up abruptly, realizing he was still in the same world. "I'm not dead?"

"Close call, very close... I almost lost you," Shi Chen said, kissing Nie Jia's hand, tears suddenly dripping onto the back of his hand.

Nie Jia froze for a moment, then leaned into Shi Chen's embrace. He knew all of this was virtual, but Shi Chen didn't. They loved each other deeply, and Nie Jia dared not imagine the pain of separation and death, yet he allowed Shi Chen to bear this pain. Suddenly, he felt a twinge of regret.

"I'm okay. I won't leave you," Nie Jia said gently, embracing Shi Chen.

Shi Chen remained silent, simply holding Nie Jia tightly.

Nie Jia nuzzled Shi Chen's ear, coaxing him as Shi Chen used to coax him, "Don't cry, my dear husband."

Shi Chen chuckled helplessly, pulling Nie Jia away from his embrace by the collar and kissing his lips, "I'm the one who's worried about you, unable to control myself."

Nie Jia wiped away Shi Chen's tears with his fingertips. Shi Chen furrowed his brows slightly, gazing quietly at Nie Jia's handsome features. "Don't do this again. Don't put yourself in such danger. Can you do it for me?"

"I didn't think that much," Nie Jia admitted obediently. "My biggest wish is to be with you. I don't have the noble spirit of sacrificing myself for the people of the country. If it weren't for being stunned by the sound waves, I could have escaped. So, I didn't do it on purpose. Forgive me."

He leaned in to kiss Shi Chen's cheek, whispering gentle words of explanation in his ear, like a spoiled child.

The two kissed, devoid of any desire, expressing their love and longing for each other.

After a moment of tenderness, Nie Jia leaned against Shi Chen's chest, holding a cup of water. "How long have I been lying down? My back hurts."

Shi Chen reached out to massage his back, whispering softly, "Two days."

Nie Jia was silent for a moment before asking, "How's the coastline?"

"Most of the people have been evacuated in time. There have been no casualties among the remaining residents. The contamination and radiation were cleared by a team of abilities users yesterday afternoon, with no further threats." Shi Chen kissed Nie Jia's fingertips out of habit. "You saved everyone, including me. You're my hero."

The last sentence made Nie Jia feel a bit embarrassed. His cheeks reddened as he turned to glance at Shi Chen, then snuggled closer to him, asking, "Do I get any reward?"

"You can have any reward you want," Shi Chen said, affectionately pinching Nie Jia's cheek.

Nie Jia leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I want to make love with you."

Shi Chen smirked, wrapping his arms around Nie Jia and flipping him onto the bed. Nie Jia was caught off guard, and the water in his hand splashed onto both of them. After a moment of shock, they smiled at each other and embraced, kissing passionately.

Later that evening, when Song Nuanyang learned that Nie Jia had awakened, she hurried over to see him. Irritated by her intrusion, Nie Jia barely exchanged a few words before attempting to shoo her away, but Shi Chen was cooking, so Song Nuanyang insisted on staying for dinner, leading to a quarrel between her and Nie Jia at the doorstep. In a matter of minutes, He Qingtang also arrived and insisted on joining them for dinner. Nie Jia sat on the sofa, feeling annoyed.

But as the three of them sat down and chatted, Nie Jia learned that the crisis in Huaxia had been successfully resolved. However, in the United States, there was no abilities user like him. Over six hundred nuclear missiles had obliterated nearly half of the country, causing countless casualties, and the capital had vanished into a huge crater.

"It's certain that the country is finished. The entire military and political system has been obliterated. My sister has already sent troops to arrange treatment and evacuation for others. Let's settle them here first," He Qingtang said while munching on sunflower seeds.

The United States was severely weakened, with President Clinton sacrificing himself. The remaining survivors would have to face various forms of contamination and radiation, and the entire country would eventually perish.

No one had anticipated this scenario.

Moreover, the disaster in the United States further highlighted Nie Jia's heroic act of intercepting hundreds of nuclear missiles at sea, saving the entire country. He was truly a savior, no longer the infamous leader of the Shark faction. His former identity was no longer mentioned, even by President He, who only expressed endless gratitude towards Nie Jia. Those who had opposed the amnesty for Nie Jia, even after he joined Huaxia, and had secretly ostracized him, now felt nothing but shame.

Yet, at this moment, the savior said, "Why save them? Wasn't Huaxia always in a hostile state with the United States? Is Huaxia so prosperous in resources? Has Ning Lang been eradicated? Is there still room to save refugees?"

Song Nuanyang said, "We can't put it that way. Those are all ordinary people. The existence of the Oasis is a disaster for all of humanity. Saving one person is saving one person."

"Ning Lang is quiet now. I don't know if he's planning something." He Qingtang looked troubled. "He claims to want to exterminate the Pig faction and start a war with our two countries just to fire the first shot. There are countless large and small bases of free abilities users outside the country. If Huaxia doesn't extend a helping hand, all the bases outside the country, countless lives, will be exterminated by Ning Lang."

Nie Jia looked at her, then glanced towards the kitchen, and asked seriously, "Is it Shi Chen's idea to accommodate the bases of abilities users outside the country?"

"You've been asleep for the past two days, and Shi Chen has been by your side the whole time. He Qingtang hasn't even stepped through the Qinghai Gate. This is the president's decision, and the superiors have not objected," Song Nuanyang said. "Those bases outside the country have fired at us, but in times of crisis, should we let them fend for themselves?"

Nie Jia found it strange. Why couldn't they let them fend for themselves?

He Qingtang said, "The bases formed by free people are different from the Shark faction. They haven't caused us any excessive harm. They're all lives; how can we just ignore them?"

Nie Jia fell silent, reluctantly convinced. In the face of a major crisis, accommodating more abilities users could be considered a modest force.

"He Qingtang!" Shi Chen

 shouted from the kitchen.

"Coming!" He Qingtang quickly got up and ran to the kitchen door.

Shi Chen said, "Go buy me some ginger."

He Qingtang went out to buy ginger, feeling aggrieved. Nie Jia's thoughts returned to the right track. Frowning, he asked Song Nuanyang, "What kind of ability could cause the disappearance of the U.S. capital? That's nearly a hundred square kilometers, with over three million people, the central hub of the highest authority, completely vanished without a trace."

Song Nuanyang shook her head awkwardly. "I don't know. Such a phenomenon has never occurred before."

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